Rolf Peter Kahl was born in Cottbus (then German Democratic Republic) on November 8, 1970. After graduating from high school, he trained at the Rostock branch of the Berlin Academy of Dramatic Art 'Ernst Busch'. One of his first roles in front of the camera was a small part in Tom Tykwer's "Die tödliche Maria" ("Deadly Maria", 1993). Since then he has had numerous roles in feature film and (especially) television productions. He has played (and continues to play) guest roles in various series, including "Doppelter Einsatz", "Alarm für Cobra 11," "Tatort," "Großstadtrevier" and "Polizeiruf 110"; he has also occasionally appeared  in television films, such as "Crash Kids" (1996) and the romantic comedy "Vertrauen ist alles" (2000). On the big screen, Kahl sporadically had  supporting roles and guest appearances, such as in Oskar Roehler's "Suck My Dick" (2001), Martin Walz's "Märzmelodie" (2008), Hannes Stöhr's "Berlin Calling," Uwe Boll's "Max Schmeling" (2010, as Joseph Goebbels) and, as a ticket inspector, in Jan Ole Gerster's "Oh Boy" ("A Coffee in Berlin", 2012).   

Parallel to his work as an actor, Rolf Peter Kahl (who usually goes by RP Kahl) made a name for himself as a filmmaker and producer. As early as 1995, he founded a production company (Erdbeermundfilm) and in 1997 produced Oskar Roehler's "Silvester Countdown," in which he also starred as an actor. In 1998, he presented his first directorial effort, "Angel Express", which he also wrote and produced together with Luggi Waldleitner. The film, about the bizarre experiences of four young Berliners (one played by Kahl), screened at several international festivals and opened in theaters in 1999.   

Also in 1999, Kahl founded the film distribution company Independent Partners together with Torsten Neumann, the director of the Oldenburg International Film Festival. Initially, they had a strategic partnership with Studio Babelsberg Independents, followed by a permanent distribution partnership with Neue Visionen Filmverleih. From the start, the distributor's program has consisted of German arthouse films and occasionally international independent productions (such as Larry Clark's "Ken Park," US 2002). In 2007, a DVD label was also established under the same name.  

As a producer, Kahl realized the project "99euro-films" (2001), an episodic film with contributions from twelve German filmmakers (including Kahl himself). The film screened at the Berlinale 2002 as the opening film of the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section. The project's sequel, "Europe - 99euro-films 2" (2002), with contributions from nine European directors, premiered at the 2003 Locarno Film Festival. In the same year, Kahl received a grant from the Defa Foundation.   

For his next directorial work, the documentary "Mädchen am Sonntag" (2005), Kahl accompanied actresses Laura Tonke, Nicolette Krebitz, Katharina Schüttler and Inga Birkenfeld through four different seasons and landscapes and had them talk about their lives and professions. For this film, Kahl received the Young Talent Award of the Hessian Film Prize.   

Despite this success, it took almost five years until the next feature-length film directed by Kahl was released: "Bedways" (2010) about a cinematic experiment by a (fictional) female director, premiered at the 2010 Berlinale in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section. After numerous other festival screenings, the film was released in theaters in June 2010. In addition, Kahl realized several short films over the years.   

After the medium-length films "Rehearsals" (2012) and "Crashland" (2014), he presented his next feature-length film at the 2017 Munich Film Festival, the experimental erotic self-discovery story "A Thought of Ecstasy" ("Ecstasy", 2017), on which he once again simultaneously worked as lead actor, writer and producer. The film was released in German theaters in January 2018.  

In the fall of 2021, Kahl presented his next film at the Filmfest Oldenburg: "Als Susan Sontag im Publikum saß" ("When Susan Sontag Was Sitting in the Audience", 2021), a documentary with a feature story, that reconstructs the legendary panel discussion "A Dialogue on Women's Liberation" that took place in New York in 1971, with Norman Mailer, Germaine Greer, Jill Johnston, Jacqueline Ceballos and Diana Trilling. Susan Sontag was in the audience, pointing out Mailer's chauvinism in an interjection. In the film, Kahl used the reenactment of the event as a starting point for a reflection on the topic of gender justice and showed ist continued relevance.  The theatrical release of "Als Susan Sontag im Publikum saß" was in May 2022.

In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Kahl continues to be active as an actor, particularly in television, appearing in series such as "Notruf Hafenkante" and "Polizeiruf 110." Kahl has also held teaching positions for many years at the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin, among others. He also serves on the advisory boards for the film selection of the Berlinale and the Oldenburg International Film Festival.   

From 2013 to 2017, Kahl was a deputy board member of the German Film Academy; since January 2017, he has been a full board member for the directing section. In March 2017, Kahl was elected vice chairman of the board of the German Film Academy.